The present invention provides new techniques related to magnetically controllable and/or steerable froth for use in separation processes of mineral-bearing ore and bitumen. Apparatus is provided featuring a processor configured to contain a fluidic medium having a material-of-interest and also having a surfactant with magnetic properties so as to cause the formation of a froth layer that contains at least some of the material-of-interest and is magnetically responsive; and a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field and provide non-mechanical mixing and steering/driving of the froth layer in the processor. The material-of-interest may be mineral-bearing ore particles or bitumen. The processor includes a flotation tank, a primary separation vessel (PSV), or a pipe, including a tailings pipeline. The pipe has a non-magnetic pipe section, and the magnetic field generator includes a magnetic coil arranged in relation to non-magnetic pipe section to generate the magnetic field and provide the non-mechanical mixing and steering/driving of the froth layer in the pipe.

A separation system is disclosed for separating selected particles from a mixture of particles in a fluid. The system includes a froth flotation vessel into which in use the mixture of particles and fluid are subjected to an upward flow of an introduced gas to form a froth layer which rises above an interface formed between the froth layer and the mixture of particles and fluid, such that a quantity of the selected particles is conveyed out of the vessel by the froth layer to become a first product of the system. The vessel also has a first outlet arranged in use for receiving a flow of some of the mixture of particles and fluid from the vessel, an entry to the first outlet being located in a region proximate to, but below, the interface. The vessel also has a second outlet arranged in use for receiving a flow of some of the mixture of particles and fluid from a region of the vessel which is located below the first outlet. In use the first outlet receives a quantity of the selected particles which were not conveyed out of the vessel by the froth layer, and the second outlet receives a quantity of the selected particles in a first by-product of the system. The first by-product comprises a relatively higher percentage of solids compared to the flow of particles and fluid in the first outlet. The flow of the mixture of particles and fluid from the vessel via the first outlet passes to a classification device, which separates the flow into two or more fractions on the basis of their size or density or a combination of the two.

The present invention relates to apparatus for simultaneous grinding and froth flotation of at least one crude mineral and/or pigment, a process carried out in the apparatus for manufacturing at least one ground mineral and/or pigment, use of the ground mineral and/or pigment bearing phase obtainable by the process in paper applications as well as in paper, plastics, paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, food, feed, pharma, concrete, cement, cosmetic, water treatment and/or agriculture applications, preferably in a wet end process of paper machine, in cigarette paper, board, and/or coating applications, or as support for rotogravure and/or offset and/or ink jet printing and/or continuous ink jet printing and/or flexography and/or electrophotography and/or decoration surfaces and the ground mineral and/or pigment bearing phase or ground mineral and/or pigment obtainable by the process.

The invention relates to a rapid flotation device, in particular using dissolved air, for treating water laden with suspended matter (MES). The device comprises a mixing area (B) separated from a flotation area (C) by a wall (n) above which the liquid to be treated passes from the mixing area. The bottom portion of the flotation area comprises: a perforated floor (1) located above an apron (R), a floated-water discharge being provided under the floor and leading to an outlet system (3); and at least two separate channels (2) which are oriented in the direction of flow of the water and are provided under the floor (1), and under optional structures (w) extending from the floor, to a point upstream of the outlet system (3). The downstream end (2.1) of the channels is open and located above the floor level, and a discharge means (V) is provided, for each channel, at the end of the downstream bottom portion of said channel.

The present invention comprises a process and apparatus for separation of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-containing produced water, wherein in stage 1 the hydrocarbon-containing produced water is supplied with a gas-containing component, whereupon a gas- and hydrocarbon-containing produced water mixture is fed to an inlet tube (22, 27) in the center of a tank, whereupon the said mixture is tangentially distributed via at least one nozzle (7) and at least one baffle plate (8.1), whereupon separated hydrocarbons are conveyed to at least one outlet from the tank and cleaned water is conveyed to an outlet (12) from the tank.

Several agitators for generating a mixture are described which generally have a housing and an impeller rotatably mounted within the housing. The impeller has a first end with a first end face, and plurality of protuberances and at least one compressed gas channel outlet disposed on the first end face. The agitator also has a mixing chamber that is located adjacent to the plurality of protuberances, a fluid inlet extending through the housing for supplying a mixing fluid to the mixing chamber, and a fluid outlet extending through the housing for discharging the mixture from mixing chamber. When the compressed gas and the mixing fluid are supplied to the mixing chamber, the compressed gas becomes uncompressed gas, and rotation of the impeller agitates the uncompressed gas and the mixing fluid and disperses the uncompressed gas and at least a portion of the mixing fluid to generate the mixture.

A dissolved air floatation apparatus including an ultrafine bubble-containing liquid production device and a dissolved air floatation tank. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid production device includes a gas-liquid mixing unit and a bubble-containing liquid separation device. The bubble-containing liquid separation device swirls a liquid containing ultrafine bubbles and larger bubbles in a storage tank to concentrate the liquid that contains the ultrafine bubbles and the liquid that contains the larger bubbles to a central part of the swirling flow followed by discharge. A pressurized ultrafine bubble-containing liquid is mixed in a raw liquid containing a subject to be cleansed and is poured into the dissolved air floatation tank to cause a suspended substance and a dissolved component in the raw liquid to be adsorbed on an interface of fine bubbles and be floated in the dissolved air floatation tank to be extracted.

The present invention relates to apparatus for simultaneous grinding and froth flotation of at least one crude mineral and/or pigment, a process carried out in the apparatus for manufacturing at least one ground mineral and/or pigment, use of the ground mineral and/or pigment bearing phase obtainable by the process in paper applications as well as in paper, plastics, paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, food, feed, pharma, concrete, cement, cosmetic, water treatment and/or agriculture applications, preferably in a wet end process of paper machine, in cigarette paper, board, and/or coating applications, or as support for rotogravure and/or offset and/or ink jet printing and/or continuous ink jet printing and/or flexography and/or electrophotography and/or decoration surfaces and the ground mineral and/or pigment bearing phase or ground mineral and/or pigment obtainable by the process.

A flotation line for treating mineral ore particles suspended in slurry is disclosed. The flotation line includes a scavenger part and a scavenger cleaner part. The flotation line is characterized in that the scavenger part or the scavenger cleaner part includes a flotation cell with blast tubes for introducing slurry infeed into the flotation cell; or in that the scavenger part or the scavenger cleaner part is followed by a flotation cell with blast tubes for introducing slurry infeed into the flotation cell. Further, a use of the flotation line is presented, as well as a flotation plant including a flotation line according to the invention.

The disclosure relates to an installation for processing and/or using process liquid, comprising at least one first installation section which comprises at least one heat exchanger for heating the process liquid. The heated process liquid can be guided directly or indirectly to a second installation section for processing and/or use. The invention is directed to the problem of providing an installation by means of which the wear and tear of comminution mechanisms, in particular for frozen, cold or tough biomass, can be reduced in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. The installation is characterized in that the second installation section comprises at least one washing, soaking and/or thawing booth device for treating biomass using the warm process liquid.